SINGLES AND DOUBLES COLLECTION: A - C

This is a work in progress. This OTRR Collection is a Non-Certified one, containing series in which currently only one or two episodes are known to exist -- hence the name: "Singles and Doubles Collection". Almost every type genre is included.

Radio -- called by some The Theater of the Mind -- has been with us since 1920 when stations WWJ of Detroit and KDKA of Pittsburg made the first regular commercial broadcasts. The first program aimed at entertaining the unseen audience followed close behind.

Over the years since then, literally thousands of series have been broadcast nationally and thousands more in regional or local markets. Some endured for a few years, others for 20 or 30, and some unfortunately only had one episode broadcast. Of those thousands, some series saw some of their episodes saved for the future, some saw nearly all and others only one or two episodes.

While the goal of the Old Time Radio Researchers Group is to preserve radios past by collecting, and archiving as many different series as possible and making them available to the community, we do not want to let the series that only had a minimum number of episodes to survive go unpreserved for future generations.

To that end we have put together this unique collection of series. Most of the programs you will find here will be totally unfamilar to you, but they are informative and entertaining none the less.

This is the second version of this collection that we have released. Since the first collection new broadcasts have surfaced, and others will undoubtely be found in the future. When and if that occurs, we will release a version three.

From comedy to drama to cooking shows to music, you'll hear it all here, and every episode will be unique and different. They run the gamut, from the middle 20s to the early 70s, all showing us a glimpse of the past, when things were slower and families gathered round the radio each evening. Times when each person was hearing the same thing, but created a different picture in their minds of what the characters looked like, the scenery, location, and most important the sounds. Sounds that each found a different meaning in, but one that entertained, educated, and made the world a smaller place, where you could hear those stories that in the past were told to just a few, gathered round the dinner table, at a campfire, or in small audiences, but now the whole world could hear and enjoy.

Some of these episodes may be misnamed or misdated. If you find such, please let us know. Additionally there may be some dead air space at the beginning or ending of some episodes. This is not one of our certified sets, it is being provided as a way to obtain those series in which only one or two shows have survived.


This page contains Series beginning with the letters A through C.

A text file containing a list of the MP3 files found on this page appears near the bottom of the page.


From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR.

Creative Commons license: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States

Notes

OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHER'S GROUP

This is a production of the Old Time Radio Researchers Group located at Old Time Radio Researchers Website and the Old Time Radio Researchers Group.

If you are interested in preserving old time radio, you may wish to join the Old Time Radio Researchers Group at Yahoo.


This is a portion of the OTRR Non Certified Collection -- it has not gone through the entire OTRR Certification process. The entire Collection can be found at Non Certified Set.



Relax, listen, and enjoy!

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OTRR Definitions:

OTRR Certified Accurate -- A series that is Certified Accurate indicates that all the episodes are properly identified and labeled but that the series does not contain all known extant episodes.

OTRR Certified Complete -- A series that is Certified Complete is the highest level of certification available under the OTRR Certified Standards. This certification level implies that all the files in the series are Certified Accurate but also indicates that the series is as complete as possible -- it includes all extant episodes.

OTRR Non-Certified -- A collection of shows that have not gone through the OTRR Certification process.

Individual Files

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Reviewer: nightkey5 - - July 24, 2013
Subject: Errors in collection
41-12-08_xxx_Adventure_Story.mp3 was Let's Sing and Swing from 12-12-08 (broadcast on NBC Red at 1330 with news of the declaration of war)

41-12-08_xxxx_Adventure_Story.mp3 is apparently the second half of Let's Sing and Swing)

theo has pointed out that American Forum Economic Forecast for 1949 is actually Happy the Humbug (same date)

Best Sellers 45-09-20 was John B. Kennedy

48-07-25 Behind The Front Page was Let's Talk Hollywood

Bob Smith Show should be dated 47-08-25

47-04-26xxxBreakfastwithDorothyandDick.mp3 s/b dated 47-05-09

Broadway Matinee 44-06-07 was Morning in Manhattan (same date)

By The People (12) The Burning of Washington.mp3 is mislabeled. It was By The People (47) Forest Fire.mp3

47-xx-xx007CareerOfAliceBlair2.mp3 and 47-xx-xx008CareerOfAliceBlair2.mp3 - At least 3 episodes of Career of Alice Blair exist in mp3

49-11-29xxxClub930.mp3 There at least 3 episodes of Club 930 available. This file is also misdated and should be 49-11-24. Note the reference to it being Thanksgiving.

xx-xx-xx136ColgateCavalcade1_64kb.mp3 was mislabeled. (This is the second file labeled Colgate Cavalcade). It was a closed circuit broadcast that I have seen labeled as Closed Circuit 52-11-26.mp3

Under C's, 49-09-21xxxTremaynesThe.mp3 was The Croupier (same date)

Under C's, 49-11-10xxxNBCLittleTheater.mp3 was Comedy Playhouse - School for Scandal (same date)

Reviewer: Jilly9 - - May 4, 2011
Subject: kinda sounds like gary cooper
in the General Wainwright program

Reviewer: nenslo - - November 2, 2010
Subject: Correction
The file purporting to be Barron Elliot and His Stardust Melodies is in fact an episode of Jane Endicott, Reporter.

Reviewer: Dodsworth the Cat - - December 21, 2008
Subject: Clint Noble
While the file says this programme is from July 3, 1936 (a Friday), and the broadcast itself indicates it ran from 6:15 to 6:30 EDT, the Associated Press programme listing for that time slot show "M. Contreras Orchestra." Several of the programmes mentioned, namely Ford Bond's sportscast, Billy and Betty, and Tom Howard's Jamboree, ran only on WEAF while the rest of the Red Network broadcast other programming.

This aircheck was likely preserved because of the WEAF announcer breaking up after someone whistling in the background.

Reviewer: davidinberkeley - - November 14, 2008
Subject: An interesting grab bag
I listened with my OTR group to a file randomly. We got "Crime & Death Take No Holidays - Ralph Gramm Robs Bank" and was it ever a surprise!

It was soooo interesting to hear what people put on the air back then.

Then, you could get a stinker, too, so it's definitely a grab bag. I'm glad it's all free!

Reviewer: Razzilla - - November 2, 2008
Subject: Americans At Work errors
I found two within them...but I forgot which error later in the set led me to the right one for 390321...

Both shows were for that date
Singles_and_Doubles_Collection_39-09-21_xxx_Americans_At_Work.mp3 is an episode for Women's Home Companion

Singles_and_Doubles_Collection_39-09-21_xxxx_Americans_At_Work.mp3 is an episode of Sundial

***
50-01-09xxxBandDChucklewagon-FirstSong-OhCaterina.mp3 (64Kbps) is from the Dave Garroway Show and I'm still trying to pinpoint a date on this one...

I thought that this was a week earlier than posted earlier (when I heard the new show The Halls Of Ivy at the end...since its premiere was the Friday before that) and removed the comment... There was confirmation on this by a Wisconsin newspaper at the time with the Mel Torme appearance...

Reviewer: UMB - - May 7, 2008
Subject: correction
47-09-11xxxAtHomeWithTheKirkwoods is mislabeled. It is actually Criminal at Large from 47-09-11 (Murder in Stone With Gerald Mohr)

Reviewer: Robin_1990 - - April 22, 2008
Subject: Awesome
I Just downloaded and listened to "Al Trace and His Silly Symphonists", which was very enjoyable. It features great silly music which is quite catchy.